Climate change, fracking to take center stage in 2013

As the year comes to a close, we’re looking ahead to what’s next in 2013. We’ve got predictions for Washington, health care, and investing, but where are we headed when it comes to energy and the environment?

Marketplace sustainability reporter Scott Tong shares his take on a few hot button issues coming to the fore.

On what’s next for fracking:

“A lot of people are thinking about this. It’s happening in their backyards, so the inherent opposition to it is going to get louder. The federal government is planning to come out with some rules telling companies what to disclose as far as the fluid that they are shooting underground [and] what they do with the waste water before they send it back into the water system.”

On what’s next for climate change:

“The issue seems to be back. Many of us remember during the presidential election, it went dormant. But then we had Superstorm Sandy. At the government level, we are looking for more potential regulation coming out of the Environmental Protection Agency. They are looking at rules on refineries, new coal-fired power plants — so look out for that.”

To hear more about what’s ahead for the United States when it comes to energy and natural resources, click on the audio player above.